


Always Something

by FoxyDangerfluff (Argent_Vulpine)



Series: It's Only You [1]
Category: Changeling (Visual Novel)
Genre: Canon Divergent, Coffee Shop, F/M, Going to college, Post Game, still kind of canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 14:59:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17624579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argent_Vulpine/pseuds/FoxyDangerfluff





	Always Something

Ultimately, Nora had to turn to The Murder. She’d been warned about it, of course, told they would ask her to pay a price, and there was no telling what it might be until she asked. She’d been prepared for something extreme, perhaps even dire. Maybe not ‘first-born child’ level, but close.

So it came as something of a shock when all Merle asked for was one of her paintings, something she’d completed between her last disappearance and the time she turned to them for help. That was easily done, and she wondered at the catch… but none was forthcoming. He sat with her, brought in Kaya and Corvin, and the three of them explained to her what they saw or knew.

It was up to her to fix it, though.

She poured all of her energy into that task, researching in the Athenaeum or reading at the café as she worked to find the solution to her problem. Ewan didn’t know, and his family was loathe to get involved if they could help it - not that she blamed them - and Brenna was… well, Brenna.

Nora stumbled across the poem in a book of potions Shelly had loaned her with information on Faerie banes and wardings. It hadn’t seemed like much at first, but the more she read it and puzzled over it, the more something about it just seemed  _ right _ .

She took a copy of the poem to Kaya to get her opinion, and was rewarded with an explanation of what each line was talking about and even how to brew it. The copy was given as payment for assistance in preparing the brew and setting up the ritual, and Nora was all too happy to pay that particular price.

After that, getting her body back had been almost easy… if it weren’t for the memory loss that plagued her for days afterward. Merle had told her before that her soul was ragged, whatever that meant, and Corvin had backed that statement up. Both assured her it would heal itself over time, and she’d get most of her memories back, but…

There were still pieces to the puzzle unsolved.

She spent more and more time at The Murder - either in Solis Court or in the café itself - as she tried to unlock what had initiated the contract in the first place. Sometimes Ally joined her. Spencer, too, once they’d found out that he could see Fae as well, and once they’d convinced him that she was really herself. That had been a long and difficult conversation, but they’d managed.

Merle had offered on more than one occasion to assist with breaking the seal on her memories, but at that point she wasn’t sure she wanted the help. It felt like something she should do for herself.

He was there, though, the day Spencer brought up a dream he’d been having - a nightmare or memory, he wasn’t sure. The pain brought up any time someone mentioned a Faerie hill was expounded when he tried to articulate his dream.

There was a blinding flash of pain, sharp enough to make her gasp for breath while she felt like her head was ready to explode… and then it all came back. The hill, Spencer’s disappearance, Nora offering to take his place.

Merle vanished briefly, back into the café, and returned with a cup of hot chocolate that he set wordlessly in front of her. She looked up at him, shell-shocked expression frozen on her features, and stuttered a thanks. He smiled and patted her shoulder before disappearing back into the café, returning to work she was sure.

It occurred to her, much later, that she trusted him implicitly, otherwise she wasn’t sure she would have been nearly as okay with being so… so vulnerable around him.

Spencer had stammered out apology after apology until she and Ally both had verbally smacked him - though Nora roused enough from her stupor to get close to physically smacking him, too. It hadn’t been his fault any more than it was hers; they had been  _ children _ ; how could they possibly have known better?

Eventually she and Spencer both managed to calm down, and he left with Ally, leaving Nora alone in the courtyard. Well… not fully alone. Merle had returned at some point, settling in at another table. Far enough to give her privacy, close enough that his presence was still oddly comforting. She took another moment to gather herself mentally before she stood, bringing the now empty mug along with her.

He looked up as she approached, smiling. “Figure everything out?” he asked, gesturing for her to take a seat.

She hesitated, and then did, settling down across from him. “As much as we could. Turns out Ally remembered Spencer’s disappearance, but she’d been told not to bring it up, since we’d both forgotten.” Except, of course, they hadn’t actually forgotten; their memories had just been locked away.  _ Faeries _ . “Thank you for the cocoa. How much do I owe for it?”

“Nothing,” he said, grinning when she raised an eyebrow at him. “Consider it paid for by your painting.”

“I thought that painting was payment for information,” she remarked, voice dry. “I don’t recall anything about a cup of hot chocolate included with that.”

“Maybe I just liked the painting that much.” He grinned when she scoffed at him. “Fine, how about this: consider it paid for if you answer a question for me.”

That gave her pause, and she looked at him quizzically. “I suppose that depends on the question, really. If I can’t or won’t answer it, I’m going right in there to pay, though, I hope you know.”

He laughed, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Fair enough.” He was quiet a moment, thinking; perhaps trying to decide how to phrase the question. She watched and waited as patiently as she could, shifting nervously in her seat the longer he was silent, until he finally nodded, as if making up his mind. “Let’s go inside first. I don’t think this should be asked out here.”

That did concern her, some. If he was worried someone - or something - might be eavesdropping, then the question must be pretty sensitive. They got up and headed inside, Merle holding the door open so she could precede him, and chose a table near the back, away from everyone else.

Once he was sure she was comfortable, he looked at her, suddenly very serious. “What would you do, if Spencer were taken again?”

Whatever she’d been expecting, that definitely wasn’t it. She blinked and was ready to give an instant response before she stopped to actually  _ think _ about it. Of course she’d want to get him back; he was her little brother, and she’d always protected him. Always wanted to make sure he was safe. “Well… I wouldn’t go about it quite the same way. I wouldn’t enter a contract, if I could manage it. But… I’d still go to get him. I’d do whatever it took to bring him home.”

“Why?”

"Because he’s my brother and I love him. Do I need a better reason than that?” Family was important to her, Spencer especially so.

Merle smiled, seemingly pleased with her answer. “No, I think that’s a pretty good one.” He laughed at the expression on her face. “It is. And, look, you got a hot chocolate in return for answering.” The smile faded as he turned serious again, looking her over. “Are you feeling better?”

That was probably a more loaded question than the other had been, honestly. She sighed softly. “Mostly. I’m sure eventually, yeah. I feel like it’s never going to get any easier. Being Cryptic, keeping secrets, knowing the things I know now…”

“You’ll get used to it eventually. I think anyone would feel that way at first, being brought into something like this. Especially if you had no idea it existed before.” She made a face at that. “Those of us who’ve known our whole lives, we have it easier in some ways.” He gave her another smile, reaching across the table to tug at a lock of her hair. “I see you still haven’t gotten it cut.”

“Yeah, well… it’s grown on me a bit,” she replied with a smirk, eliciting a laughing groan from him. 

Kaya chose that moment to come over, giving Nora a slight smile and accompanying nod. “Merle, Aiah needs you in the back for a moment.”

“It never ends.” He gave Nora’s hair one last playful tug before he stood. “Thanks, Kaya, I’ll head back now. And, Nora?” he said, pausing by her chair. She tilted her head to look up at him questioningly. “It does get better.”

She smiled, flushing slightly. “Yeah. Thanks.”

He and Kaya walked off, leaving her alone for a moment longer until she got up and headed out of the café, her mind lighter than it had been.

 

* * *

 

For the remainder of her time in high school, Nora alternated between eating in the cafeteria with Danny and Elliot and their group, or eating in Solis Court with Ally and whomever else happened to be there; Ewan and Corvin were the most constant additional presences, but sometimes one of the others would show. Even Spencer started to show up, usually being towed by Ally. Nora made a point to remind her best friend how gross it was, but she really was glad to see her best friend and her brother so… happy.

Every now and again, when she’d go in to retrieve her lunch and coffee from the café, Merle would take his break and follow her out, making some teasing statement or joke that had her snickering as they approached the table. Those were usually days when she was feeling overwhelmed or upset; she never said, but he could just… tell. Whether that was to do with his magic she wasn’t quite sure, but his company was welcome, regardless.

The first few times it had happened when Corvin was around, the younger Wizard pouted, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. She’d had to remind him on more than one occasion that he was still her friend, which seemed to help. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t be friends with more than one of the brothers at a time, after all.

Nora had also gotten into the habit of coming out on the weekends in the morning to have a coffee. Merle would swing by and chat when he had the time, or gossip about Corvin - sometimes with Corvin standing right there. Merle made a point to check up on her, often by teasing her. She would retaliate by throwing a wadded up napkin at him, though she couldn’t stop her laughter from rising.

Life fell into a comfortable routine. School, the library, the courtyard and café - all were important parts of her life, now.

So when graduation loomed upon the horizon, it caused quite a stir.

Nora was sitting in the café, staring forlornly at the door to the courtyard. It had been raining there when she’d arrived, so she’d retreated back to the shop and slumped into a seat, spilling books out onto the table in front of her.

She was glaring at one in particular when movement caught her eye, and she looked up to see Merle sliding into the seat across from her. He raised his eyebrow at her when she frowned, his finger tapping on the book she’d been trying to murder with her eyes. 

“You know, I’ve heard the phrase ‘glaring daggers’ before, but I never thought I’d see it actually happen. Much less to a poor, defenseless book.” Nora huffed out a laugh, pushing the offending article away to make room for the cup of coffee that Merle set in front of her. “So, what’s all this, then?” he asked.

“College catalogs,” she muttered, her annoyance seeping away some as she picked up the coffee, inhaling the aromatic steam. It smelled a little different than her usual. “New blend?” she asked, taking a cautious sip. “Oh! It’s really good.”

“I thought you might like it. Now, why are you trying to shred the college catalogs with your mind?”

“There’s just… so many!”

“Catalogs?”

“Choices!” She pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, sighing. “Not just what college, but also what classes, what major, what schedule. It’s… a lot to take in.”

He made a soft sound in his throat, something like agreement, and lifted one of the books, clearly curious. “I never went,” he remarked absently, flipping through the pages. “Our work here is pretty important, after all.”

She recalled Corvin having said something along those lines, that the others had begun their work as Pillars early, abandoning school entirely in some cases. He wouldn’t be going to college, either. She wondered, suddenly, if Merle or any of the others had even graduated - Corvin’s comments had made it sound like they hadn’t - but felt that was too rude a question to ask.

“Yeah, I’ve picked up on that a bit.” Nora offered him a smile, relaxing with the coffee and his presence. “It’s just stressful, really. I feel like I just got settled back here, and now I’m looking at colleges and trying to figure out where I want to go, what I want to do.”

“What do you  _ think _ you’d like to do?” he asked, curious.

“I don’t… I don’t know, really. I like art, and literature. But working with the agency has been… kind of enjoyable, actually?” One shoulder lifted in a half shrug. “Ally said there’s a Cryptic university, and they have magic classes. I think that would be fun.”

“You think you have to keep those parts of your life separate?”

She paused, cup halfway to her mouth before she set it down again. “What do you mean?”

“Well…” He shifted in his seat, getting comfortable. “It seems to me that you think you have to keep agency work separate from everything else. Couldn’t you do both? Art or literature - both if you want -  _ and  _ work with the agency?”

Nora lifted the cup again, taking a judicious sip as she mulled it over. Vilos worked for the agency and the school simultaneously, didn’t he? Plus he had the Athenaeum to… do whatever it was he did there. She assumed he was effectively working for three institutions, then, all blended together.

Could she work toward, say, being a teacher for Stone Circle? And then she could work with the agency. Perhaps try to keep the Faeries from causing more damage, or at least help those caught in it when they inevitably did. How many more Changelings would there be? How many wanted to be? And of those that didn’t… could she save them the way she’d been saved?

She wasn’t a Pillar, with an obligation to remain neutral.

Merle watched her, a faintly amused expression on his face that grew broader when she reached for the catalog of the Cryptic university. “Made a decision?”

Her cheeks warmed as she glanced up at him. “Maybe,” she said, still sounding a little unsure. “It doesn’t hurt to look, I guess.” The catalog was fairly thick; she’d been given the one that included Cryptic classes, which had added to the bulk. It was still a lot to process, and even more to wade through, but.. It did seem like the best option.

At some point Merle got up, clearing away her empty coffee cup. Nora was busy scribbling notes in the margins of the catalog, or circling classes she thought were interesting, and didn’t even notice he had gone until he returned again some time later, setting another cup of coffee in front of her, in addition to a sandwich.

“You need to eat something,” he said when she looked up at him, blinking owlishly. “Even you can’t survive on coffee alone.”

She smirked up at him, reaching for the coffee first. “Are you sure about that? Maybe there should be some testing done.”

He laughed, settling once again in the chair across from her, neatly stacking the forgotten catalogs and shifting them to the side to make room for his own drink and food.

Nora put her pen into the catalog to mark her place and closed it; if he was going to join her during his break, the least she could do was not ignore him. He watched her, clearly waiting for something, and she finally sighed and took a bite of the sandwich. “Better?” she asked, amused.

“It’s a good start.”

She snorted softly at that, deliberately taking another, larger bite, making a show of carefully chewing and swallowing it. It was followed by another sip of the coffee and she sighed, content. “How do you always know what to get me? I don’t even have to ask anymore, it seems like.”

“You’re a regular, Nora. Don’t you think maybe we learn our regulars’ likes and dislikes eventually?” he teased, grinning at her. “At least you aren’t complicated. You like a little bit of heat in your food, but you aren’t really that picky to begin with, which makes it easier.”

“Hmm… well, I’d probably eat whatever you put in front of me, at any rate,” she agreed absently. Whatever it was, Merle really had learned what she liked. The sandwich had a nice bit of spice to it, enough of a kick in the flavor to make her mouth water but not so much that it overwhelmed everything else.

“I’m glad to hear that, but I hope you also  _ enjoy _ whatever gets put in front of you.”

“Do you think I’d eat it if I didn’t?” She shook her head slightly, amused. “If I didn’t like it, you’d be the first to know.”

He laughed at that, raising his hands in surrender. “Okay, fair enough.” They ate in companionable silence for a moment, before he looked back up at her, studying her for a moment.

When she finally noticed, he gave her a fond smile; her own lips curved in response, automatic. “Something on your mind?” she asked.

“Always,” he replied, quick. “But most of it is uninteresting or stuff I can’t really talk about.” He laughed when she made a face at him. “What? It’s true. How’s your college stuff going?”

It was a clear subject change, but she let it slide… for the moment. “I think I’ve picked out a couple tracks that felt right? And some magic classes that sounded interesting. I’m going to talk to Ally about them later, see what she thinks, I suppose.”

Something about his expression seemed off, as if he were… disappointed? Which didn’t make any sense to her. She hid her frown behind the cup as she took a sip of the coffee, grimacing when she discovered it had started cooling down beyond drinkable. Nora finished it off quickly before flipping the catalog open and turning it to him so he could see. “There’s some more advanced defense courses I want to take, and some offense. If I’m going to consider working for the agency, those seem like a good start.”

He picked up the book and studied the course descriptions she’d flagged, thumbing through the pages. “Looks like a pretty intense load.” Merle grinned suddenly, looking her over. “Think you can handle it?”

Nora’s eyes narrowed. “Are you… are you suggesting my height has anything to do with this?” His laugh was enough of an answer. She tore off a piece of bread from what remained of her sandwich and threw it at him, only making him laugh more.

“I would  _ never _ suggest anything of the sort.” He deflected another piece of bread, grin broadening. “Only that someone as small and cute as you might need to be careful how you balance it.”

“Merle!” She was running out of ammunition, and instead huffily crossed her arms and turned her head away, though it was impossible to keep the smile from turning up her lips - at least a little.

Their antics had apparently drawn attention, because she heard laughter - soft as it was - coming from the counter. Kaya was there, looking all too amused though she was pointedly not looking at them at all.

Merle leaned forward and ruffled her hair. “Really, though, try not to overload yourself. Normal classes and Cryptic classes sounds like a lot to take on. I just don’t want you to burn yourself out.” He seemed more serious than usual, saying that.

She reached out and took his hand before he could pull it back, squeezing it gently and giving him a soft smile. “Thank you. I’m sorry that you’ve had to see so many of my freak-outs.”

He looked startled, but smiled. “I think you’ve handled it all pretty well, actually. You were pulled into a world you really knew nothing about. You dealt with your contract and the only complaint I heard out of that ordeal was how annoying Faeries are. In the process you restored your relationship with your brother.” Merle gently took his hand back, placing it atop the stack of catalogs. “You’re looking at colleges, making a decision that could affect the rest of your life. And the only gripe you had, really, was how many variables there are.”

“When you put it that way, it does sound like I haven’t done too poorly.” She gave a soft laugh, shaking her head. “It’s just… overwhelming, sometimes.”

“And that’s to be expected. If life didn’t have moments like that, I think you’d get bored. For all your complaining, you do seem to enjoy the life you have now.” Merle began to gather the dishes, stacking them neatly.

He was about to stand and take them away when Kaya arrived, plucking them from his grasp without a word, only offering a small smile to the both of them before she walked off to take the dishes to be cleaned.

“I do enjoy it, mostly.” Nora’s voice was soft, but caught his attention immediately. He leaned forward slightly but chose to remain silent, to hear what she had to say. “I still have moments when… sure, I get annoyed with the Fae and the contract, and how much damage it caused. It sucks having to keep things a secret from my parents. But if all that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be able to share this with my best friend. I wouldn’t have joined the club and met everyone. I wouldn’t have known about The Murder as more than a quirkily named café in town, or gotten to eat lunch in the courtyard, or spend afternoons in an enormous magical library.”

She sighed, more to herself than anything, and turned to face him, the smile on her face soft and a little wistful. “What I’ve gained is amazing. I just wish it hadn’t happened the way it did.” Nora gathered up the catalogs, stuffing them into her book bag before pulling out money for the coffee and food. “Thank you for the company, Merle. It means a lot to me.” 

She stood, slinging her bag onto a shoulder, and was headed to the counter when he reached out and caught her hand before she could get too far. “Nora…” he began, studying her face for a long moment before making a decision. “You don’t have to thank me for something like that. I  _ want _ to spend time with you. And not just because you’re a friend.”

That gave her pause. From the expression on her face, it seemed like she wasn’t sure what to make of his statement, or perhaps whether she should believe what she was hearing. She opened her mouth to respond, but whatever she was going to say was interrupted by her phone. “Dammit,” she muttered, pulling it out of her pocket. “I really need to take this.”

She gave his hand a brief squeeze before stepping away to answer, her brow furrowing at whatever she was being told. He caught snatches of her side of the conversation; not enough to follow along, but enough to tell when she had to go. Nora shot him an apologetic smile and rushed to the counter, handing over money for the food and drink without even waiting for her change before she was gone.

 

* * *

 

Merle did not see her again for almost two weeks. He had begun to worry, and was considering asking Corvin about her whereabouts when the front door opened and there she was, looking… exhausted. He finished up what he was doing and left Kaya in charge so he could join Nora, who had seemed to zombie-walk her way to her regular table.

She had slumped over the table and was using her arms as a pillow; she didn’t even stir when he took the seat across from her. “Hi,” she mumbled, voice muffled by her arms. “I’m sorry.”

“What is there to be sorry for?”

“Couldn’t come by. Too much going on.” She groaned and sat up, blinking blearily at him. “Coffee?” she asked, hopeful.

He laughed and nodded, getting up to fix it for her himself. He wasn’t gone long and soon returned, gently setting the cup in front of her. She took it and cradled as she took a long, slow drink, her eyes fluttering closed.

Nora must have drank half of it by the time she set the cup down, giving a soft sigh. “You’re not going to ask?” She sounded more awake, or at least more alert.

“I figured I’d let you caffeinate first. I was a little afraid you’d try to eat my brains otherwise,” he teased.

She made a face at him over the lip of the cup before taking another sip. “Have you got enough to make a proper meal?”

He gasped and clutched a hand to his chest as if wounded. “I’ll have you know I’ve got plenty of brains. Enough to share, especially if I’m sharing with a cute girl like you,” he added with a wink.

That earned him a snort of laughter. “Hmm… I have such doubts.” She gave him a proper smile, the first he’d seen since she came through the door. “I’m not sure how much I can actually tell you, honestly.” One hand came up, running through her hair as she sighed. “Ally needed me, and the agency got involved, and it was… a mess.”

It was enough information for him to work out the gist of what had likely happened. “Don’t worry about saying anything else. These kinds of things happen.” He paused and gave a soft laugh. “Anyway, I’m glad to see you’re in one piece. And maybe it’s time I actually give you my number, so if something like this happens again you can just… let me know.”

She took his phone when he offered it, putting in her number, and had her mouth open to ask something else when Corvin popped up beside them.

“Merle! You’re needed in the back! Hi, Nora! Sorry, can’t stay to chat, it’s kind of urgent!”

Merle sighed and accepted his phone back. “I’ll text you when I can so you’ll have my number, too,” he remarked, and followed Corvin.

Nora watched him go, absently wondering how they shifted between ‘sides’ of the café, before she sighed and finished her coffee. “Is that the only reason you want my number?” she asked of empty space. She waited around for a little while longer, but whatever business he was dealing with was taking a long while and she had things she needed to do.

She’d just try to catch him another time.

Kaya met her at the register, taking her money and chatting amiably, waving her off with a friendly smile.

 

* * *

 

Merle did text her as promised, complete with an apology for being so late and having to run off. An apology that she brushed off, reminding him that she’d had to use his services, so to speak, as well, and understood that his work in that regard came before anything else.

She had to prepare for graduation, then, and wasn’t able to go by the café all that often. When she did, any time one of them seemed about to say something, they were interrupted. Corvin tripping and falling into their table, spilling drinks all over them; someone coming in the back and needing Merle’s expertise; Nora being called away for agency work - usually by Ally, but sometimes one of the other club members.

It was, all told, an incredibly ridiculous set of circumstances and Nora, at least, was getting very tired of it.

Graduation came and went, with all of Corvin’s brothers miraculously in attendance. She got to meet them all, if only briefly, before she was swept away by Ally and Spencer. They were off to celebrate the three of them being accepted to the same university, along with Danny and even Elliot.

She managed to find time to shoot Merle a quick text, but wasn’t able to check it for several hours.

When she finally got home and saw his response, she couldn’t quite keep the smile off her face.

 

* * *

 

Summer had officially begun. No more school, and she’d been given a reprieve from agency work for a while, in order to get herself prepared for moving to the campus where she’d be spending the next four years at least.

It was kind of a lot to handle, which was why she was making her way to The Murder after a long morning of logistics and fuss.

Merle was not immediately visible when she arrived, but Corvin was. He grinned at her, walked her to her usual seat, handed her a menu, and then bounded off, looking perhaps the least klutzy she’d ever seen him.

She wasn't waiting long, at least. Merle came out from the back a few minutes later with a sandwich and a coffee, headed right for her; he set it down with a wink before taking a seat. “I really don’t know why Cor gave me a menu in the first place,” she remarked, grinning. “I haven’t needed one in a while.” A pause, and then, “Is this even _ on _ the menu?”

The smirk he gave her was probably answer enough. “What do you think?”

“I think that a certain Wizard figured out my preferences and has been going off-menu to match them.”

He grinned and shrugged. “That’s a very interesting theory.”

Nora opted not to respond, instead taking a bite of the sandwich and humming softly with appreciation. There was that little kick of spice, just how she liked it. He chuckled, watching her, but she was too busy eating to worry about how it might look.

They sat in companionable silence as she finished her meal and her drink, and then she was standing abruptly, grabbing his hand as she passed his seat and tugging at him. “I want to talk to you for a minute,” she said at his questioning gaze. “In relative privacy.”

That got him up, at least, and he followed her through the door to the courtyard, a bemused look on his face. After a glance around to see there was no one else out there, she turned on him. “I have been trying for  _ weeks _ to talk to you,” she began, only to be cut off abruptly.

Merle was kissing her. It elicited a surprised squeak from her, but once the initial shock had worn off she was smiling against his lips, her fingers threading into his hair.

They were both breathless and smiling when they parted, but she still smacked his arm.

He laughed and raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry, I didn’t want to risk being interrupted again.”

“Uh-huh.” Her cheeks were flushed, but it didn’t seem as if she’d minded all that much. “How long have you known?”

“Well… for me, a while. Months? I was… trying to wait. But I wanted to let you know before you left for college.” His hand reached up to her cheek, thumb stroking along her jawline. “It didn’t seem right while you were still in high school.”

She raised an eyebrow at that, amused. “Clearly not because of my age,” she remarked. “I wouldn’t have cared, you know.” There was a pause as she thought about it. “Well… my dad might have. But now he  _ really _ can’t say anything. So… how long have you known that I felt the same?”

“You were here all the time. That was a good indicator. But… the day you were looking at all the college catalogs.”

“Ah, you mean the day Ally called me away before we could finish talking.” He nodded and she gave a wry laugh. “And then every time after that… it was always something, wasn't it?” Nora tugged him down to her for another kiss, one a little slower, less rushed or questioning.

He returned it more than willingly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. They were a little slower to part this time, the pent-up feelings finally having a release.

“Cory, I strongly suggest you go back inside,” Merle grumbled after a moment.

Nora peeked around him and saw Corvin standing in the doorway, fiddling with his scarf, a broad grin on his face. He might have looked a little disappointed, but mostly just happy to see that they were doing well. “Ah… hehe. Sorry! I’ll come back in a few minutes.” He disappeared back into the café, shutting the door firmly behind him.

They were alone again. She took a step back so she could see Merle better, a happy smile lifting the corners of her lips. “Just to be very clear… I really like you,” she said, laughing when he shot her an exasperated look. “What? I’ve been trying to say it for weeks! Now that I have the chance, I’m going to take it.”

Merle laughed and tugged at a lock of her hair. “Well, I really like you, too. I definitely want to date you.”

Her smile broadened, bright and so, so happy. “I sure hope so. I mean, if you didn’t want to date me, I’d be more than a little concerned about those kisses…”

He cut her off - again - with another one. Annoyed as she might be to be interrupted, well… if this was how he wanted to do it, she wasn’t going to complain… much.


End file.
